Trying to get more people involved with golf has been a
constant goal of mine ever since I got what is called the “golf bug”. I have been pretty successful getting at least
a handful of my friends involved by taking them to lessons or just hanging out
on the range to get them started out playing. However, one constant problem I’m
running into is that a lot of people consider golf boring because of what they
see on television. I can see their points; watching a golf tournament on
television for four consecutive days for countless hours doesn’t seem to grab
your attention like a football or hockey game. No fights to watch, no screaming
fans, and no half time show is what I’ve been hearing and critics tell me that
what they see on television is what they basically think of the sport, boring. The
question is how does the golf community tackle the problem that golf coverage
is in all respects boring?
The PGA of America is trying to
increase the number of golfers with the launch of Golf 2.0 but if you think about
what’s going on in other sports most people turn on the television and tune
into the games because they want to see the sports stars of today or future
legends of tomorrow. That is what creates fans that turn around and play the
sport, buy equipment, and increase ticket sales. “Tebowing”, thanks to Tim
Tebow, has transcended across countless boundaries, and Sidney Crosby “The Next
One” has brought countless fans to their respective sports. Is there someone in
the golf world who’s taking that same level of star power to inspire new
golfers? Tiger Woods used to be golf’s star. Everyone watched him grow up and
break countless records but with his public demise golf has yet to bounce back and
is looking for someone to fill that void if Tiger cannot be the one to do so
himself. So who will be next to take the spotlight and inspire new fans into
the game? Will it be Rickie Fowler or Bubba Watson? No one really knows at this
point but golf definitely needs someone soon.
Another issue with television coverage is the length of the
tournaments. The world we live in today is fast paced and all about right now.
Golf tournament coverage lasts for hours a day and each tournament stretches
over four consecutive days. The time it takes to watch the whole tournament is undoubtedly
consuming and a turn off for most viewers. Changing the way the television coverage
is done is not likely, but recommending to new fans of the sport to tune in on
Sundays to watch the final day of the tournament usually brings on more
excitement to see who takes home the trophy as well as the purse.
Finally, comparing golf to stadium sports such as football
is a little unrealistic because football players play in front of tens of
thousands of typically loud fans every time they step onto the field. I can’t
help but think back to a moment at the 2012 U.S. Open where this moment
happened with Jim Furyk.
“Sir, in the yellow
shirt,” Furyk said, “Please put that away. Thank You.” The golf audience was left wondering if the spectator was holding a cell phone or camera, but to have Furyk publically criticize a spectator over a cell phone or camera? You wouldn’t see that happen at a football game. No cameras, no cell phones, no home painted signs allowed in the galley at golf tournaments. Instead, you find volunteers holding the “Quiet Please” signs while spectators are forced to so much as breath loudly while watching the tournament doesn’t seem to be the most appealing time to new fans. This is a stark difference to other sports where screaming is a part of the fan experience. Just a suggestion but ticket sales might just go up if the rules were relaxed a bit or even if “Designated Cell Phone Areas Only” were cut from the rules list.
shirt,” Furyk said, “Please put that away. Thank You.” The golf audience was left wondering if the spectator was holding a cell phone or camera, but to have Furyk publically criticize a spectator over a cell phone or camera? You wouldn’t see that happen at a football game. No cameras, no cell phones, no home painted signs allowed in the galley at golf tournaments. Instead, you find volunteers holding the “Quiet Please” signs while spectators are forced to so much as breath loudly while watching the tournament doesn’t seem to be the most appealing time to new fans. This is a stark difference to other sports where screaming is a part of the fan experience. Just a suggestion but ticket sales might just go up if the rules were relaxed a bit or even if “Designated Cell Phone Areas Only” were cut from the rules list.
Now, I know golf has been pretty much the same since its
existence, but let’s face the facts, it might just be time for a face lift to
start captivating new audiences. Finding golf’s next big star, or at least
getting the old one back on track to break another record, would definitely
help, and relaxing on spectators who go to the tournaments all might just help
the sport out! I’m not expecting any miracles to happen anytime soon, but I
know I will not stop trying to get more people on the course to get them to
catch the “golf bug”!
Thanks for reading,
Tia Preece
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